Nonviolent Resistance in "Stride Towards Freedom" by Martin Luther King, Jr

Essay by Anonymous UserCollege, UndergraduateB+, January 1996

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In Martin Luther King, Jr.'s selection, Nonviolent Resistance which first appeared in 1958 as a part of his book Stride Towards Freedom, he describes the processes people follow as they confront their situation. There are three ways he explained how oppressed people can deal with their situation. The different processes that are opened to the oppressed people are acquiescence, violence, and nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King, Jr. does not approve the first two processes because they are both immoral and impractical.

He absolutely detests the process of acquiescence because it means that the Negroes are giving in to the whites unjust system. He stated that the Negroes must earn the respect of the white people. But how can the Negroes win the respect of the whites when they are being cowards? They must stand up for their rights and must not accept that they don't have freedom to become citizens of the United States of America. The Negroes are Americans and the Constitution's Bill of Rights applies to every single American.

The Negroes did know that the system was corrupted, but why did they accept to adjust themselves to their oppression? I don't know. By accepting to conform their oppression they are giving up their basic rights that our four fathers gave them. They need to stand up for their rights until they reach their goal.

As an example, women weren't allowed to vote prior to 1920. The women citizens of America wanted to vote and they had the right to vote. They fought and fought for the freedom to vote. On August 18, 1920, a bill was passed by Congress that gave women the right to vote which became the 19th Amendment. After 40 years of fighting they eventually achieved their goal, the right to vote, and won...